Middlegame
by Guardian Radiance
Summary: Bodies have begun to appear all around the city and NYPD Homicide Detective Roy Mustang is at a dead end with the case. With a serial killer on the loose, he has no option but to call upon the services of a well-renowned profiler, a man with haunted golden eyes full of fire and sorrow. Will they be able to solve this troubling case before one of them becomes the next victim?
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone! It really has been a long time since I uploaded anything, huh? And i do apologize for that. I went through a period where I absolutely hated my writing and then I improved my writing and you can now see the fruits of my labor. I had some troubles at home and school but those were taken care of easily. And my health issues were resolved too so I can now write more! Yaaay!

Well I have tried a different sort of story then I am used to writing so I would appreciate feedback! And I hope I still have readers! Yes, this shall become a RoyxEd fanfic, so no worries there. well I will keep this short but I promise updates will happen fairly quickly unless things come up. But for now, enjoy~

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**Chapter One**

Roy Mustang leaned against the iron railing of his apartment's porch, dark, troubled eyes fixed upon the horizon where a colossal river stretched almost like a giant lake across it, tiny boats floating on its surface almost like toys. A frown darkened his pale, handsome features, and gloved hands tightened their hold on the railing as if in response to whatever dark thoughts the man was thinking.

The raven haired man leaned further against the iron railing of his porch, several stories above the noisy streets of New York City, a brief sigh escaping his lips as a hand came up to rub tired eyes. The retired military Colonel turned detective was in the middle of a troubling case, and clues were too few and fleeting for his taste. The man sighed once more as the shrill ringing of his cell phone cut through his thoughts.

He straightened as he took out the blaring contraption and absently checked who was calling him. Seeing the name of one of the officers in his unit, Roy answered the phone with a tired "Mustang speaking" as he massaged his temple, hoping to banish the oncoming headache. The familiar and lazy voice of Jean Havoc answered him through a laid back exhale of smoke from the man's ever present cigarette.

_"Wow Chief, it didn't take you forever to answer the phone this time"_ the man drawled almost playfully, before turning serious _"We have another scene, sir."_

The detective's frown immediately darkened and his voice turned cold and serious. "Dammit, another one? We're still recovering evidence from the last two scenes! Doesn't this bastard take a break?"

Havoc laughed darkly, his own frown detectable in his voice. _"Don't we wish that was true. But you should come while it's still fresh."_ Roy hummed in assent as he walked back into his apartment and closed the sliding glass doors that had led to his porch. He held the phone between his head and ear as he pulled on his shoes and tried not to trip over the slight mess he had around his living room. He hadn't spent much time in his apartment for the past two weeks because of this case and it showed.

"How long ago?" he asked, referring to approximately how long it had been since their victim had died. Another exhale of smoke could be heard as Roy finally slipped into his jacket, a long black overcoat that billowed dramatically behind him when he walked.

_"Umm...Feury is still trying to get a more accurate T.O.D, but he estimates about five or six hours."_ Havoc answered, his voice slightly distracted. Roy hummed slightly at this information. He knew very well that these odd murders had their mortician and coroner Kain Feury working his ass off to earn his paycheck. Roy could then hear other voices from Havoc's end, muffled enough so that he couldn't tell what they were saying.

"If that is true, this would be our freshest scene." Roy muttered, more to himself than to Havoc when the voices died down. But the other man murmured his agreement and then seemed to pull the phone away to yell at someone before returning to Roy.

_"Hopefully the fresher scene will give us some more clues. I'll send you the address to your phone via text."_ Havoc said stiffly _"And you better hurry, we are gathering quite the crowd here."_ Roy sighed and shook his head, making one last check around the apartment to make sure he had everything and then heading towards the sliding glass doors to make sure they were securely locked.

"I will be there as soon as I can. But you know what to do. Make sure those idiotic gossips don't ruin our crime scene." Roy's voice was now tinted in irritation Oh how he hated spectators. All they wanted to do was gawk and spy so they could go and brag that they had all this "classified" information on what would be tonight's news headline. They got in the way of their work and many times contaminated evidence with their snooping.

_"Got it Chief"_ Havoc answered, his own voice filled with the same irritation _"See you soon"_ And then there was only the dial tone, signaling that the other man had ended the call. Roy pocketed the black cell phone and looked out of the glass doors. The city really did look beautiful in the warm golden glow of the sun. However, he knew, like every other member of the NYPD knew, that there were hundreds of dangerous and cruel people hiding in the shadows of the countless buildings within his line of sight.

He had almost lost his best friend, Maes Hughes, to one such person. Two years ago they had led a raid on a house suspected to be a meth lab. There they had encountered a teenager with odd green hair, high off of some methamphetamine, and wielding a gun with a wild look in his unfocused violet eyes. He has shot Maes before leading the police on a brief car chase that ended with the teenager crashing the stolen car into a wall and being killed on impact. The other officer had been in critical condition but he had survived. Barely, but he had survived.

Roy shook his head to clear his thoughts, not wanting to think about the weeks where his best friend had laid in a coma, the normally cheerful man pale and silent. He pulled at the doors, nodding when they did not open, and turned around to head out his door and to the crime scene, a small ding from his pocket indicating that Havoc had sent the directions. He once again took out his phone, briefly scanned the directions, before stuffing the device back to his packet and sweeping out the door, turning off the lights and grabbing his keys before he left.

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The crime scene, luckily, was only a short car ride away from his apartment. Traffic was also surprisingly good for being the middle of the day and the detective was able to make good time. Roy parked his car among the squad cars that signaled the crime scene was near, and got out quickly. Dark eyes scanned the area, frowning when he saw how many onlookers were milling around. News crews were already on scene, reporters talking rapidly in front of the camera and probably distorting any and all details that they had managed to acquire.

He scowled and closed his car door harder than he had intended too. Reporters and journalists were the bane of every officer. They were like vultures, trying to corner people that were involved in the events they were reporting on and trying to pull information from them. And much of the time they did not care if the information was classified or could endanger the investigation was well as any surviving witnesses. No, they were selfish and hoping to advance their careers with these headline stories, trying to seem human by using that old, repeated line of "the public deserves to know".

The man took a deep, calming breath, knowing that he had to stay calm even in the face of idiots that he wished he could shoot. And when he deemed himself ready to face the vultures of the media world, he walked forward towards the scene closed off with yellow police tape, face emotionless and eyes cold. The crowd parted immediately with a few sharp words and the flashing of his badge.

At seeing the badge, the reporters and journalists immediately flocked to him, speaking at the same time in rapid-fire, hungry voices and demanding a statement from him. It was times like these that he wished he had a hat or something, in order to hide his eyes from the flashing lights of the cameras and have a barrier against eye contact. Perhaps a fedora, like the detectives in the old movies wore. He could pull it off and he had always loved those movies as a child.

Somehow he was able to avoid all the cameras and microphones coming his way from all sides, and he made it to where he could see his unit and other officers securing the scene. He casually lifted the usual yellow tape up and he ducked below it, flashing his badge at the cop keeping the crowd from getting any closer to the scene. He walked deeper into the closed off area, his arrival catching the attention of his partner, Riza Hawkeye.

The blond woman walked swiftly to Roy, her face pale, lips set in a thin line and sharp brown eyes serious. She was dressed in brown dress pants and a simple white dress shirt with a brown jacket pulled over it all, her blond hair tied back in a tight bun. In her hands was a folder and a clipboard full of pages of notes. "Mustang" she said sharply, wasting no time in getting the man up-to-date on their newest body. She looked down briefly at her notes before continuing, her voice crisp and professional. "We have identified the victim as Ariana Pental. 25 years old; Caucasian; Organ donor. Her ID, like the others, was taped to her left inner arm."

Roy nodded and walked forward, his face grim as he stopped just a few feet in front of the body and looked down. The victim was a young woman, long black hair with red highlights spilling over the green grass of the park. She, like the others, was dressed in an odd white attire. His eyes narrowed, as he took in the outfit. "She's dressed as a white rook." And he didn't need Riza's nod to know he was right. Being an avid chess player himself, he recognized the costume their victim had been dressed in.

Ariana was merely another victim in the serial "Checkmate" murders that had begun two months ago. As much as they investigated, they could find no useful clue, connection or lead on these murders. All they knew was that the bodies were found, cleaned and dressed as different chess pieces. Their ID would always be taped to their left arm and on their right arm was always a message carved into the skin. Always the word 'Checkmate' and a number. They did not know the significance of this and this detail was not told to the public so not to encourage a copy-cat.

In the two months since the bodies began to show up, there had been a total of 6 murders including their most recent one. And they could not find a connection between any of the victims, this killer seemingly not caring about race, gender or age. Roy shook his head in disgust, before bowing his head slightly in respect of the lovely young woman that lay dead before him. Another life had been ended way before its time and he had to work harder if he didn't want this list to continue growing. He knew how many pieces in total were in a chess set, 16 black and 16 white, and he didn't want that many victims.

"It took you less time than I thought for you to get here Mustang" The voice reached them clearly, drawled lazily through a lit cigarette. Roy rolled his eyes as he turned to the voice he had heard twenty minutes ago informing him of this latest scene.

"Not everyone is as lazy as you are in getting to a scene on time, Havoc" Roy drawled back, an elegant black eyebrow rising slightly as he gazed at the man strolling leisurely closer. Jean Havoc was a rather lazy looking man, with dirty blonde hair set into natural spikes on top with dark chocolate brown highlighting the back of his head. He wore the usual police uniform with a black coat pulled over it, his ever present cigarette bobbing slightly as the man talked.

"Whatever Chief" Havoc rolled his eyes slightly before getting serious "We have Breda finishing taking pictures and Hawkeye here" At this point, Havoc nodded over to Riza as she stood silent a bit behind Roy "Took the witness statement from the jogger that found the body." At this info, Roy couldn't help but let out a tiny snort of amusement. This was his first cliché crime scene. The body of a beautiful young woman found by a jogger in Central Park? Yes, very cliché. But he waved away the looks of curiousity that his two subordinates sent his way.

"Did the witness give us any clues?" Roy asked, even though he knew it was probably a futile question. Central Park was known for shady characters. Heck, New York City was known for shady characters. And people have been paranoid with the murders that had been happening so he didn't hold his breath for a clue. And he was proven correct when both Riza and Havoc shook their heads at him, identical looks of frustration on their faces. The raven haired man sighed in irritation was he ran a hand through his hair in irritation. "Well let us check the area once again to make sure we didn't miss anything. And tell Feury he can take the body back to headquarters now."

Havoc gave a lazy salute before running off to find out where Feury had run off to, while Roy and Riza walked back to the body and crouched down. He absently accepted the gloves that his partner gave him before putting them on and carefully raising the woman's right arm. His eyes narrowed as he gazed at the now familiar sight of words carved into the skin. _'Checkmate and the number 43...Again, what does this mean?'_

Suddenly his eyes widened and he cursed, letting the arm fall back onto the ground. Riza looked at him sharply, a frown darkening her pretty features. "Sir, what's wrong?" Roy merely pointed to the arm and cursed again.

"How could I have been so stupid. It is obvious what this means if you look at it in terms of chess...Which is what this whole case seems to be about!" Roy ranted slightly, fuming at such a simple message stumping him for so long. Riza's frown darkened and her eyes flashed, demanding a straight answer. Roy shook his head, knowing that his team did not know about chess, at least not to the same extent as he did. "Checkmate is the term used in chess for a move that directly attacks the enemy king and for which there is no defending response." Roy breathed out, sounding almost like a chess rule book at that moment.

He stood up and sighed, gazing down at the woman with a blank face. "The object of the game is to checkmate the enemy king and one way the game can be concluded...And the number could mean how many moves it took to get a checkmate."

Riza had risen as well, now understanding the frustration her partner had. And she cursed herself mentally for overlooking what could have well been a message from their killer. She had known the term as it was one heard frequently and even the people who did not play, knew the word. But its significance had eluded her and it still eluded her in this context. "So now we have what could be a message from our killer but not what it could be." And Roy nodded, ideas spinning in his mind. Some were logical and some downright insane.

"We will think about this more when we get back" Roy decided, rubbing at his eyes tiredly. Like the others, he had slept very little for the past two weeks. Their police chief had been pushing them harder recently as this case became more famous, and that had left little time for restful sleep. "Riza, go make sure that the transportation of evidence and the body goes smoothly. I will meet you back at the station."

The woman nodded and turned sharply on her heel. She easily made her way through the crowd of officers still coming the scene for any extra clues that might have been overlooked and was soon out of sight. Roy sighed once again and looked down at the woman, who was now being covered by a white sheet as it was getting ready to be transported. The man paused for a second before spinning on his own heel and going back the way he came. There wasn't anything else that he needed to do here, as most of the scene had been processed by the time he had shown up. So he would meet up with his team at the office and begin to sort through the evidence that they had gathered.

Once again, bright flashing lights nearly blinded him as he ducked under the yellow tape and walked into the mass of reporters and journalists. He kept his face blank, an upside to his military training, as he walked through the mob and easily ignored the shouted questions. He shook them off as he got closer to his car and they were distracted by other officers leaving the scene. Ah, wasn't the media such a joy?

"Idiots" he muttered under his breath as he unlocked his car, a sleek black '58 cadillac fleetwood, and got inside. He turned it on and had to wait a moment as a few cars passed by, stopping as the light just up ahead changed from green to red. Traffic stopped and Roy looked at the line of cars. A flash of gold from the open window of a limo closest to his car caught his eye and he bit back a gasp at what he saw. In the back seat sat a male in his early twenties, with golden blond hair tied back in a thick braid. But what both shocked and captivated him were the male's eyes. They were pure gold, a few shades darker than his hair and filled with determination and knowledge. Their gazes locked for a long moment before the light turned green and the limo sped away.

Roy just sat in his car as an odd shiver ran down his spine as he thought about those gold eyes. They seemed to be filled with gold fire and almost challenged him even though they had only locked eyes for a second. He felt as if he would see the man again but he tried to shake the thought away. He couldn't let himself be distracted from the case, especially not by a pair of eyes.

He merged into traffic and sped away towards the station but those gold eyes seemed to be burned into his brain, as if he was drowning in the color gold. It was...Not an unpleasant feeling, only a strange one as he had never felt that way before. Roy sighed and his shoulders slumped slightly. If he was so affected by a boy, then he really had gone too long without a lover. But even as he successfully shifted his thoughts back to the case, his knew his encounter with the boy in the limo would not be a onetime thing.

And Roy Mustang did not realize then, just how much that man would help in both solving the case and banishing the demons of his past. Demons that had a connection to the very case that he was currently trying to solve.

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_**"The 5:45pm train from Boston is now arriving on Track 6. Again, the 5:45pm **__**train**__** from Boston is now arriving on Track 6. Please watch the gap between the train and the platform. Thank you for riding Amtrack **__**and have a nice day.**__**"**_

Golden eyes blinked open sleepily, glancing outside the window as the conductor's voice pulled him out of his half-asleep state. "It seems I'm here..._Finally_" 22-year-old Edward Namikaze muttered to himself softly as he straightened in his seat. The train came slowly to a slow stop, and passengers quickly rose from their seats and grabbed either suitcases or small children and filed out of the compartments. Edward allowed himself a moment to stretch and rub the sleep out of his eyes before grabbing his own rather large suitcase, two duffel bags and a book bag and exiting the train.

As soon as his feet touched the platform, he looked around the busy station and blinked, slightly overwhelmed by the sudden rush of movement and sound. Ed set his bags on the ground, fixed them so that most of the bags hung from his biggest suitcase and absently lifted the handle and began to roll it behind him as his eyes flickered around and looked for a sign that would lead him outside or perhaps to a cafe or restaurant for he had not eaten much all day. He had been traveling almost constantly for the past 12 hours and train rides were never easy to endure. Those unique golden eyes brightened as they spotted a sign signaling a restaurant that had been set up in the station. He knew that the place would most likely be overpriced, but the food would be good and he didn't have the energy nor the desire to look for something less expensive.

The golden blonde wheeled his way down the hallway, yawning widely as he brought up a free hand to hide it. He was dressed in black well-fitted jeans and a black dress shirt partially open to reveal a white t-shirt. He wore black combat boots, white gloves and a long crimson overcoat finished the outfit. Long golden hair was tied back in a neat braid that went to mid-back and swung slightly with each step as long gold bangs framed the young face of the 22-year old. Soon, Edward stopped in front of the restaurant, a small and cozy looking place called 'Gateway'. He entered through the doors cautiously and was immediately greeted by the hostess and taken to a seat. The staff knew to be efficient, quick and polite as their patrons were usually in a rush.

He was left at a table in a quiet corner of the main dining area, a glass of water, a basket of warm bread with butter, and a menu presented to him and his drink order taken before he was left alone to look through said menu. But as he looked he took out a black and red cell phone and absently took off his gloves, pushing them into a pocket of his coat which now hung over the back of his seat. He unlocked the screen with a swipe of his finger and dialed a very familiar number before bringing the phone to his ear.

The blonde smiled slightly as the phone began to ring, his eyes scanning the menu and humming slightly when an interesting item caught his eye. All too soon the other end picked up and a young voice answered, cheerful and bright. _"Edo-nii! Edo-nii! Hi hi!"_ A giggle followed the excited answer and Edward couldn't help but laugh as well, a genuine smile lighting up his face.

"Hi there Naru-chan" Edward greeted back cheerfully "And how are you today?" The little boy on the other end giggled again and it was obvious that he was jumping around even as he talked.

"_Good!"_ Naruto chirped _cheerfully "Daddy took me to the pwark and I got to pway on the swings! And Daddy went down the swlide with me and I saw my fwiends! We played tag and there were so many leaves! We jumped in them Edo-nii~"_ The boy kept on talking, detailing his outing. And all Edward could do was listen and laugh quietly, dutifully adding a soft "Really?" every now and then. His three year old brother, Naruto, was always a cheerful bundle of energy. Bright as the sun and sweet as sugar, he charmed all the people he met and seemed to brighten any day.

"I'm glad you had fun Naru-chan" Edward said quickly as Naruto took a breath to keep speaking "But is Dad home?" His gaze flickered back to the menu as he finally selected on a very appetizing looking pasta dish. A waiter came and set down his drink and Ed handed over the menu and put in his order as he half listened to Naruto yelling for their father to come to the phone.

The waiter had smiled as he heard the young voice, the two sharing an understanding smile at the energy of young children, before the man had left to take Edward's order to the kitchen. Soon, you could hear the phone exchanging hands and a rich, soft male voice answered. _"Edward?"_

"Hi there Papa" Edward answered back warmly. This was his adoptive father Minato Namikaze, a man that Ed greatly respected and adored. Years of growing up without a father figure had made his independent and unwilling to trust but Minato was the one that gave him a family again. Edward's golden eyes darkened in anger at the thought of his biological father, who had abandoned his family and didn't deserve to be called a father, but those thoughts were soon brushed away when he heard Minato laugh happily.

"_We were wondering when you would call"_ Minato said cheerfully _"Your Mama and Naru were getting worried!"_ The blonde laughed sheepishly, taking a sip of water before speaking again.

"I couldn't call you on the train." Edward explained "It was way too noisy and I couldn't get a signal." Minato laughed, and Ed basked in the familiar sound. He missed his family, having left them in Konoha, a village that was practically in the middle of nowhere in the woods of upper Maine. But he was here on a mission and he wouldn't let homesickness and slight culture shock stop him from completing it.

"_We understand. I had thought it was probably something like that."_ Minato answered back, warmth and love in every word _"So you're in New York City right now, right?"_

"Yup. I am getting some food here at a restaurant in the station and then I was going to find a cheap hotel to stay in for a while." Ed said and took a piece of the bread that had been placed on the table

There was a brief pause before Minato spoke again, as if he was thinking something over. _"Well, you could stay in the hotel that I usually stay in when I am on a business trip in New York. I could cover the costs for however long you'll be there."_ Edward gasped and frowned slightly, ready to reject such an offer. He had money from his own job and he could pay. He didn't want his father to spend unnecessary money. And it seemed Minato knew his son would argue and continued before Ed had a chance to speak. _"I mean it Edward. I have enough money that I can cover this cost with no trouble and you can focus on finding Alphonse. This will be my way of helping you find my other son."_

This caused Edward to smile, even if the expression was somewhat bittersweet. Minato and Kushina Namikaze had been his fourth foster family and he had come to them distrustful and angry, not at all how a nine year old should be. And they, unlike his other foster families, tried to understand him and yet not change him to what they wanted. It was because of this that he had relaxed his guard around them to the point where they did adopt them. And he remembered their promise to help him find his younger brother, who had been separated from him and sent to another foster home.

"...I...Alright Papa. What was the name of the hotel?" Edward gave in with little fight. He would have argued more but he knew his father would not take no for an answer. And if he had tried to argue, then Minato would have handed the phone to his wife and not even Ed was brave enough to argue against Kushina Namikaze. And, by the tone of Minato's voice, he knew that it was the thought of his wife that had caused Ed to give in so easily.

"_It's The Towers at The New York Palace."_ Minato answered promptly, and Ed rolled his eyes playfully at the triumphant grin he could hear in his father's voice. _"It's a five star hotel that has a contract with my company."_

Ed hummed in acknowledgment, knowing that his father had many contacts with hotels in the major cities he did business in. Company functions held in the city the hotel was in were always held in said hotel. And everyone who goes to the city on company related business stays in the hotel the company had a contract with. In exchange for the steady business, the hotels charged lower rates on the more luxury rooms. "Okay, so what shall I do?"

"You're eating now right?" Minato asked instead. Edward nodded, even if Minato couldn't see that, as he answered "Waiting for my food but yes."

"_Okay, I will make the necessary accommodations. You just eat and I will call you a bit later to tell you what I set up for you."_ Minato began to explain _"Your stay will be for an undetermined amount of time so I am sure me and the hotel can come to an agreement."_

"Okay Papa. It's not like I am in a hurry." He spotted the waiter coming out of the kitchen with his order and turned his attention back to his phone call "Papa, my food is coming. I'll wait for your call then."

"_Okay son. Enjoy your meal. Love you"_ Minato said distractedly, already beginning to make the accommodations. Naruto, who had been quiet until then, trilled happily. _"Love you Edo-nii! Bye bye!"_

"Love you too Papa. And you be good, okay Naru-chan? I'll bring you back a present if you are, okay? Love you!" He heard Naruto squeal happily at the promise of a present and he babbled a toddler's promise to be super-extra-good. "Bye bye." Edward ended the call with a fond smile and set the phone down on the table as the waiter stopped at his table and set a plate of steaming food in front of him. "Here you are sir. The Penne Alfredo with ham and spinach in a bread bowl. Would you like anything else?"

Edward shook his head as he took in a deep breath of the steaming dish. The scents mixed together in an intoxicating blend of spices that made your mouth water. "No, I'm good. Thank you" He nodded to the waiter with a small smile, and the man bowed slightly and left. Edward grabbed his fork and sighed happily, his stomach grumbling loudly now that it smelled food. He took a bite and sighed in pleasure, even as he distantly noted that his parent's cooking was so much better. However, after hours of travel, hard seats, and fast food, this was practically heaven. And so he ate, waiting for his father to call back and tell him where he would be living during his stay in the Big Apple.

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Forty minutes and a tiramisu later, Edward was back in the station, sitting on a bench and looking at all the people that hurried past him. His suitcase sat by his feet, close enough so that no one could see an opening to steal it. After all, this was a big city and crime would be higher here than back home. You couldn't be too careful.

It was now that his phone rang, the screen showing his father's number. With a smile he picked it up and said "Hello~"

"_Hey son. Finished eating?"_ Minato's voice asked. Ed grinned, remembering the delicious dish ha had ordered. "Yup" he answered "Not as good as yours or Mama's but still good." Minato laughed at that.

"_Well I'm glad we're still your favorite cooks then."_ Minato chuckled _"And your mother will be glad to hear that as well."_ Ed smiled at the mention on his fiery, red haired mother. "Oh yeah, where is she? With Naru at gymnastics?" Naruto had so much energy that they had signed the child up for different activities. And the one he enjoyed most were gymnastics and swimming. The boy just kept going and going.

"_Yup. And it's the only way to somewhat tire that child out."_ Minato sighed, as aware as Ed was in the amount of energy his son had. _"But, back to you and your living accommodations. I placed a call to the hotel and managed to get you one of their best suites for you to use for an undetermined amount of time. And I shall be charged for it through the company's contract with them."_

"Good" Edward sighed in relief. He hadn't really been looking forward to wandering around such a large city looking for a somewhat cheap hotel to rent a room at. "So where is this hotel?"

"_Oh don't worry, if you go outside to the front of the station, the hotel is sending a limo driver to pick you up."_ Minato informed his son cheerfully. He adored spending money on his children but was rarely able to do so. It was a testament to their upbringing that despite having so much money, the Namikaze family remained humble. Humble when it came to money and it's luxuries at least. In their skills and knowledge, they knew they should be proud but never to the point of blind arrogance. "Papa!" Ed exclaimed, eyes wide "Are they sending it or did you ask them to send it?" Minato merely laughed, not answering Edward's question.

"_Now you should hurry to the front of the station from wherever you are"_ the older man said cheerfully _"They will be holding a sign with your name on it so don't keep the poor driver waiting!"_ Ed grumbled under his breath for a moment, causing Minato to laugh some more. But Ed sighed, a grin on his face. As much as he hated such fancy accommodations and special treatment, it made him smile that his father only wanted him to have the best. And if he could provide his loved ones with a higher quality of life, why wouldn't he? It wasn't showering them in gifts to win their love, but providing them with anything they needed that he could provide.

That was what a real father did and that was why Minato was his father, not Honenhiem. "Thank you Papa" Ed said softly. Minato knew what Edward was thinking and smiled; his eyes warm but a bit sad. After all, his son was far away from him and no matter how many times they had been a part due to work, they always missed each other. _"I love you Edward. Call me when you get settled into your hotel okay?"_

And Ed smiled, feeling that he was one of the luckiest people in the world. He had had an amazing mother. And when she had died, he had been taken in by two amazing people that he loved as dearly as he had loved his mother. And this was just another reason he wanted to find his little brother. He wanted to share his amazing new family with him and let his little brother be a part of it. "I will Papa. I love you too. Bye." And when he heard Minato whisper _"Bye"_ back to him he ended the call and wheeled his suitcase towards the exit. He had a hotel to check into and a search to start. And there was only one thought on his mind just then.

_'Don't worry Al...I'll find you. We'll be together again soon little brother.'_

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And that is the end of chapter one. I hope I intrigued a few of you so that you'll read on. And for those who caught onto the fact that Ed's adoptive family are Naruto characters, there is a reason. One of my best friends is "helping" me write this fic by giving me "challenges" and "rewarding" me when I complete them. Chapter One's challenge was to incorporate at least two Naruto characters in supporting roles. So they won't show up frequently but they will be there. And the use of the Japanese suffixes will be explained a bit later so be patient. Ed is only going to use them with his family. My prize? Chocolate! A candy bar a day for two months. She's loaded, I swear! Anyway! Hope you enjoyed it! Til next time!_  
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	2. Chapter 2

And I am here with chapter two. I originally wanted to wait until I had a few more people interested in this story but I figure that people might be more interested in a story with more chapters. And I have about half of the next chapter done which is is always my goal before I update. But a bit more plot and I am sorry if the case takes a back burner in this chapter. You will get more information next chapter! Again, if you have questions I will be more than happy to answer them and if you see mistakes, tell me so I can correct them. I do not have a beta reader and I can't always catch everything!

Anyway, let me let you get to the chapter! Enjoy~

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**Chapter Two**

Roy walked into his team's squad room, holding a cup of coffee while a frown darkened his features. He stalked over to his desk and sat down, powering up the computer that sat on it and taking a sip of his hot drink. This case was all over newspapers and the news, scaring the residents of the city and making them paranoid. And all the information "provided" by the news was incorrect. So the public was both jumpy _**and**_ misinformed and he had to be the one to calm their fears. It was annoying and it took time away from actually solving the case.

His gaze lifted to the other desks in the squad room, the three desks belonging to his direct subordinates. And right now, only Riza sat at her desk, surrounded by papers. "Find anything Hawkeye?" He asked warily, knowing that she would only shake her head. And shake her head she did, but she did not go back to the papers.

"Sir, if I may make a suggestion?" she said seriously, getting up and walking towards his desk. Roy merely took another sip of coffee and nodded, hoping that the caffeine would be enough to keep him awake. "Go ahead Hawkeye." She frowned slightly at the folder and then handed it to Roy.

"From what I can see, this killer has some sort of agenda. Even if we cannot see what that agenda is...But if we could get into his head?" She paused, looking at Roy, whose eyes widened slightly, understanding at what she was getting at.

"We need a specialist. A profiler at least." Roy breathed out "It might be the break we need. And a fresh outlook on the case wouldn't hurt." He stood up and drained his coffee, throwing the Styrofoam cup in the trash beside his desk and enjoying the brief caffeine rush. "You create a folder of this case and I will go talk with Hughes." Riza smiled, she knew that Maes was also ex-military and had connections with the FBI. If anyone could find a skilled and trustworthy expert, it was Roy's best friend.

"Okay, I should organize our notes anyway. I might find something we overlooked." Riza said softly, a faint smile brightening her tired features. Roy merely nodded as he finally took off his coat and let it fall onto his chair before he hurried out of the room and down the hall, soon being swallowed by the crowd of blue clad officers. Riza then turned back to her own desk, pulling folders and papers towards her and beginning to organize everything they had learned so far.

Her own notes were detailed and precise and she planned to re-write all of their data and store it all in a folder. Both for easier access to information (though the originals would be kept under lock and key so evidence would not be contaminated), and for their expert. And so the work began.

~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~

Roy knocked on a door and heard a cheerful voice call out "Come in!" He shook his head at his best friend's cheerfulness as he entered the office. Behind the desk sat a dark haired man with intelligent green eyes behind rectangular glasses. He looked up and once he spotted Roy, he leaped to his feet as he greeted the slightly younger man cheerfully. "Mustang!"

"Hughes!" Roy answered back with as much cheer as Maes, but it was sarcastic and they both knew it. Maes ushered Roy in closer with a wicked grin, his eyes flashing mischievously.

"Well we don't see you very often in this part of HQ!" Hughes said as he leaned against his desk. Roy sat on one of the straight back chairs and crossed his legs elegantly. "Yes, yes I know. I am trespassing on your land." Roy fired back teasingly. "May we declare a truce?"

"Always!" Maes crowed "As long as you come home with me tonight. Gracia made lasagna tonight and we can never eat the entire thing ourselves." Roy laughed, the sound genuinely happy.

"Alright, I guess that won't be _too_ painful." Roy bantered back, the slightly softer look in his eyes making sure Hughes knew he was only teasing. Maes only grinned wider. "And Elysia misses you. She hasn't seen you in a while. And why is that _Uncle Roy_?"

"Perhaps because our police chief loves to give me the hardest cases that leave me little time for a social life?" Roy drawled sarcastically, with an overly dramatic eye roll. Maes laughed at Roy's expression, before turning serious.

"Now what did you need?" Maes knew that this wasn't a simple social call. He could see that clearly by the determined gleam in his best friend's dark eyes. Roy sobered as well and slumped slightly in his seat.

"It has got to do with the Checkmate murders." Roy began slowly. "We have six bodies now. Serial killers usually escalate when they know how successful they are." Here he paused and Maes nodded, knowing this very well. They both have had to deal with a fair few serial killers. "But this one, is going at a steady pace and has some sort of agenda that for all we know could be religious or psychological. That's why I came. I need you to find us an expert."

"An expert..." Maes mused, knowing that that was actually a very good idea. They had had a profiler, one who had retired due to old age and no one had come to fill the man's place. Roy nodded and sighed tiredly. "Yes, a psychiatrist or someone that has experience or knowledge about cults and the like. Anyone who can tell us what our killer might be thinking."

"I can make a few calls." Maes said a loud, eyes dark with thought. "I know there are many profilers that work for the FBI only under contract. Perhaps we can contact one to help us on this case." Roy nodded as he got up.

"You know the team. If anyone can find a skilled and trustworthy profiler that would work well with us, it is you" Roy answered with a wry grin. He knew that his team could be hard to work with at times because it was rare that they truly trusted someone outside their little circle. They had all been together in the military and had found each other years later here in New York. But if they were to solve this case, he knew their expert had to be someone who would not be pushed around and not many wouldn't be intimidated by him and Riza. And Maes knew this well, if his own wry grin was any indication.

"So I have to find someone smart, stubborn, determined, someone who won't fall for your "charm"..." Maes winked as he did finger quotes as he said the word charm. "And someone who is not easily intimidated. Are you _sure_ you are not asking me to find you a wife? Or perhaps a husband?" Roy groaned, all to used to hearing Maes and his obsession with getting Roy to settle down.

"Hughes." Roy growled warningly, his eyes narrowing. Maes merely held his hands up in surrender, through the wicked grin never left his lips. "Alright, alright. I shall find you an expert but it might take some time." Maes said calmly, his face becoming serious once more. "This case is becoming huge and we will need the right expert on this one." Roy nodded, knowing that once a case became highly publicized, they had to be careful who worked on it as the incompetence of a person could be used to form reasonable doubt.

"Thank you Maes." Roy breathed out. "If Maes hadn't been able to help then he would have had to search for the expert himself. And in addition to not knowing where to start, it would just have added more work to his already overflowing plate. He then stood up and rubbed his eyes before giving the other man a weak smile. "I should get back to work. I will see you later alright?" He then swept from the room, in search of more coffee, something he desperately needed if he was to stay awake. He didn't notice the way that Maes's expression turned pained for a second before hardening in determination. He knew that a profiler, while it was not going to solve the case, would bring some insight into the case and might provide a much needed clue.

And so he turned back to his desk, flopping onto the chair and pulling his phone to him. He had many calls to make, perhaps a few favors to call in. He would make sure they had a profiler by the end of this week at the latest. And Maes Hughes never failed a mission.

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Edward sighed as the limo rolled to a stop in front of a large, beautiful hotel. He wasn't really used to the whole lap of luxury lifestyle. He and his parents were down to earth people and rarely did they act as if they had as much money as they did. But he knew how they would treat him here and he mentally prepared himself for it.

Once the limo was fully stopped, the door was opened and a man in a dark green uniform stood there, holding out his hand. "Master Edward, a pleasure to have you here." Ed resisted the urge to slap the hand away but he knew that at the moment he was representing his father, and he was not going to hurt his dad's image. And so he took the hand and let the man pull him from the car as another man in a similar uniform took his bags from the trunk of the limo.

"Thank you" Ed muttered as he was ushered into the lobby and directed to the front desk where a woman dressed in a simple white dress shirt, a forest green skirt and a forest green jacket over the shirt stood and waved him over. Ed blinked in slight confusion as he walked over cautiously.

"Welcome to our hotel. You must be Edward Namikaze I presume?" the woman said with a polite smile, her pale emerald green eyes looking him over briefly as if making sure he was the right person. Edward nodded and the woman's smile widened as she fell into a bow, her dark brown hair tumbling over her shoulder at the gesture. "I am the manager of this hotel, Alana Holmes. Your father called us earlier and made arrangements for your stay. You are staying for an indefinite amount of time, correct?"

Edward nodded. "Yes, I have business here in the city and I am not quite sure how long it will take." He stood tall and kept his tone polite and detached, just like his father taught him to act when being "the Namikaze heir". He didn't like it and neither did Minato, but it was something that had to be done since their family was so influential. It wouldn't do for any of them to be easily read and manipulated. Alana nodded and motioned to one of the woman at the check-in desk. The other woman, this one with pale blond hair and pale blue eyes, handed the manager a card and a folder.

"Well Master Edward, we have everything set up. We have one of our finest suites set up for your extended stay. Here is your passkey to your room, the key to your rental car, and a bit of useful information." Alana said cheerfully "The bellhop shall be up with your luggage in a moment. The elevators are down that hall." She pointed the hallway out as Ed took the offered objects and smiled, not surprised that his father had set up a rental car for him.

"Thank you Ms. Holmes." Ed said with a nod. Alana merely smiled as she said "Do not hesitate to call the front desk or room service if you require anything." With another smile and a nod, Ed turned away and headed towards the elevators, wanting to see what his temporary home looked like. And then perhaps take a shower to wash away the grime of travel. He would turn in early tonight and tomorrow he would begin his search. But shower and sleep were first on his list.

The elevator ride was quick and he easily found his room. A quick swipe of the passkey and the door was unlocked. Edward pushed the door open and slipped inside, finding the light switch and flicking it on. Gold eyes widened as the room flooded with light, a gasp escaping his lips as he walked in and absently closed the door.

The room was huge, more like an apartment then a hotel room. It had a living room area as well as a fairly large kitchen. The place was decorated tastefully, in soothing greens and rich browns with accents of gold, silver and crimson. An elegant crimson curtain covered what he assumed were large windows. But when he walked over and pushed the curtain open, he saw a large set of sliding glass doors that led to a porch and an amazing view of the city and of a large river in the distance. He was a bit stunned by the extravagant room.

As a profiler by contract for the FBI and CIA, he had traveled a lot for cases. But never had he stayed anywhere this nice, even when the trip was for pleasure. But, thinking about it, he preferred this to the hotel rooms he had stayed in before, especially if he had to stay here for longer than a week. He fell onto one of the leather sofas in the living room area and grinned, snuggling into the comfortable surface. It the couches were this comfy, he couldn't wait to flop onto the bed.

It was then that the blonde heard a knock at the door. Knowing that it was probably his bags being brought up, he groaned and stood up reluctantly. He opened the door and smiled politely at the blue eyed man that stood there with a slight smile, his bags sitting on the floor beside the brunette's feet and a basket in the male's hands. "Hello there, are those my bags?" The man nodded and handed Ed the basket as he bowed slightly. As he took it, Ed caught a glimpse of the name tag which read 'Andrew Chase'.

"They are. And I also have a complimentary basket of pastries from our in house bakery" Andrew said politely as he lifted all the bags and stepped into the suite as Ed stepped back. He placed all the bags in a corner of the room, out of the way and in a neat pile as Ed watched. Andrew then turned to Ed and bowed slightly once again "I shall take my leave if you do not require anything else."

"Thank you and here." Ed handed Andrew a few folded bills "It is the least I can do to thank you for bringing up all my bags." Andrew took the tip with a muttered "Thank you" and did not look at the bills before tucking them into his pocket as he walked out of the room and shut the door. Edward made sure the door was locked before sighing and stretching as he once again looked around the suite. He was trying to decide if he should call his parents or unpack first, when his phone began to ring. Taking the device out of his pocket, Ed glanced at the screen and frowned at the unfamiliar number. Confused but curious, he pressed the 'Accept Call' button and brought it to his ear. If they were looking for him he wanted to know who and why, and if it was a wrong number he would have to tell them.

"Hello?"

~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~

Maes didn't have to search for very long. His contacts in the FBI had sent him the resumes and public work files of the profilers that were available and nearby. Now he was just searching through them, carefully reading the notes about their personalities and the like. He knew most of these profilers would be qualified intellectually, but personality-wise? That was a different story and he had to be careful in reading the files sent to him.

However, he kept coming back to one file in particular no matter how long he looked. This particular profiler was significantly younger than the rest of the files that had been sent, being only 22 years old while the others were at least in their early thirties at their youngest. He pulled that file up again and stared at the picture, wondering why this man looked so familiar.

Hair and eyes of vibrant gold and face set in a faint scowl, as if daring the person looking at the picture to underestimate him because of his age. Those vibrant, rare colored eyes blazed with determination and knowledge and Maes was sure this boy was not easily intimidated. "Hmmm...Perhaps I should look at this one more closely." He had disregarded this file, of one Edward Namikaze, simply because of his age. He didn't think one so young would have the experience to deal with their current case.

But as he looked through his file, he knew that he couldn't have been more wrong in his assumptions. This kid had been a part of many high profile cases since he was 18. He was labeled a prodigy, having started college officially at 14 but having been taking college level classes since he was 12. Maes couldn't stop his mouth from falling open as he read the credentials and degrees this kid had. He was more than qualified to help them and his personality was a nice fit to their group.

Maes laughed as he read comments about Edward. They all said he had a fierce temper (especially about his height), was snarky, rude and sarcastic but could be professional when he felt like it or when it was needed (like in court). Just by reading that, he had a feeling he and the unit would like this kid and that Ed would annoy Roy to no end.

Maes grinned wickedly, the gleam in his eyes playfully evil. Maybe that is what Roy needed, someone with who he actually had to earn respect. Roy was so used to people following orders and respecting him immediately. And if what he read about Edward was correct, the blonde would do the exact opposite. Ed would fight back and question him, make him earn his respect and would push him to do better.

Yes, Edward Namikaze was the perfect one for this job in all aspects. And he was only working for the FBI and CIA on contract so perhaps they could get this talented profiler to stay with the NYPD. But first he had to see if Edward would take the job. He quickly found the contact number in Ed's file and called it, waiting anxiously as it rang. And he took a deep breath as a husky male voice answered him, full of confusion and curiosity.

_"Hello?"_

"Yes hello, I am looking for a Dr. Edward Namikaze?" Maes asked, wondering if this was the prodigy profiler the FBI had raved about. The voice was so young that he had trouble imagining that this was the one who had worked for the country's top agencies since he was 18.

_"This is him."_ Edward answered, a sliver of suspicion leaking into his voice now that he had established this wasn't a wrong number. Maes knew that now the kid must be wondering what a stranger wants with him. _"May I help you Mr-"_

"This is Detective Maes Hughes with the NYPD." Maes answered quickly, not wanting the boy to hang up because he thought this was a prank. There was a surprised hum on the other end before Ed spoke again.

_"Well then Detective Hughes, what can I do for you?"_ Ed asked, voice thick with curiosity _"I have only been in the city for a few hours. I couldn't have broken the law yet~"_ There was a grin attached to that statement and Hughes had to grin back. A few minutes of talking to him and the kid was already intriguing him.

"Oh I dunno if you have or haven't broken the law" Hughes said teasingly and his grin grew as he heard Ed's amused snort through the line "But that is not why I am calling you."

_"Oh? Well then why are you calling me?"_ Ed asked, obviously intrigued. Multiple muted noises could be heard then, and the detective assumed his potential expert was walking around as he talked.

"Well perhaps you have heard of the 'Checkmate Murders'?" Hughes asked, not actually sure how much he could give out over the phone. Roy hadn't told him how much was classified and he couldn't just ask the other man to come help them without giving _some_ information. He heard the sound of running water as Ed replied.

_"Yes, I read about them in the paper on my way here. Though I doubt much of the information is true."_ Ed muttered, slight disgust in his voice _"The media screws everything up."_ Hughes chuckled. At least Ed and Roy had that in common, even if most of those in law enforcement thought the same thing.

"You are correct in that. But we have hit a dead end in the case and have decided that bringing in a profiler would be beneficial." Maes began to explain, voice now serious "Some of my contacts in the FBI recommended you, if you are willing to help."

_"Well for one I am going to hit someone for giving you my information"_ Ed huffed out after only a moment's pause _"Not because I don't want to help but because I am on a sort of vacation right now. Not that I was planning to relax." _

"What do you mean?" Hughes hadn't heard anything about Ed being on vacation from his contacts. If he had he would have put the kid at the bottom of the list. Perhaps he should help Ed in hitting the people that seemed to disregard the fact Ed was on vacation and thus unavailable. "And if I may ask, why wouldn't you relax on your "sort of" vacation?" Ed sighed, the sound forlorn and slightly lost.

_"It's all in my files, which you should have, but long story short? I am looking for my little brother."_ Ed breathed out, a note of longing and sadness in his voice. _"We were sent to different foster homes when our mother died and I haven't been able to find him. I got some info he might be here so I took a break from work to look for him."_

The older man didn't know what to say about that. Such information, such as foster homes and adoption, would be in his file. But he hadn't looked into the background information of the profilers, only credentials. He made a note to read Ed's background even as he answered "I'll tell you what. I do not expect you to stop your search, but what if I help you? I was an investigator for the FBI before I became a NYPD detective. If you help me, I will help you." Again there was a pause, longer than the first one. And when Ed spoke again, his voice was slightly hesitant.

_"You'll help me if I help you?"_ the blonde asked softly, as if he didn't quite believe the fact that a stranger was offering to help in his search. Maes nodded firmly, even if Ed couldn't see it. "Of course I would. After all, you would be helping me very much if you did become part of the case." Ed laughed a bit, but his next words were relieved.

_"Thank you. I do not know where to start. This city is so large, any help would be appreciated."_ Ed seemed to take a drink of something, probably water if the earlier sound of running water was any indication. _"Alright, I shall join this case if you truly want me as part of the team. I assume you aren't the lead investigator."_ And Maes laughed at that, impressed by that assumption. After all, he hadn't given any hints that he wasn't the lead detective.

"I'm not but the head is my best friend so I can add you to the task force and he can pout if he doesn't like it." He had to hold back his own laughter as Ed chuckled at those words. "But back to the issue at hand. Thank you for agreeing to help us." Maes said with a grin. "Why don't we meet somewhere so we can talk in person and I can give you a bit of info on both the case and the team you'll be working with?"

Ed answered, amusement dripping off every word. _"You can tell them right now that I take no bullshit from anyone and don't expect sugarcoating. If they're being idiots, I will tell them straight out. And sure, that is doable. And I would like to meet you in person, you're interesting."_

"You're my kind of guy Edward." Maes managed to get his laughter under control as he heard Ed's playfully evil chuckles. The files were right; this kid had a strong personality and such _fire_. It was obvious even through a simple phone conversation. "And thank you, you seem very interesting yourself."

_"I aim to please."_ Ed joked _"But since I am new to the city I am not sure where we could meet up."_ Hughes hummed for a moment before speaking. "Well, where are you staying while in the city?"

_"My father, well adoptive father if we want to get technical"_ Ed began _"Anyway, his company has a contract with a hotel here in the city. Um, it's The Towers at The New York Palace. Do you know it?"_ Maes bit back a gasp. That was a five star hotel, beautiful but expensive for long stays. Just how did this kid's father manage to get a contract with that hotel? And how loaded was the guy if he could pay for his son's stay in that hotel because from the tone in Ed's voice, it was obvious his father was paying.

"Yeah, I know of it." Maes answered "How about we meet tomorrow for lunch? That is, if you aren't too tired from your trip?" He remembered Ed mentioning he had only arrived in the city a few hours ago. The blonde hummed and after a moments silence, he agreed.

_"No, it will be fine. I am turning in early and I am used to traveling."_ Ed assured the older man. _"Where were you thinking of meeting up?"_

"Well one of my best friend's favorite cafes is a place called "Mudspot" in East Village." Hughes answered "I have been meaning to check it out and now is as good a time as any, right?"

_"Oh, so now I am an excuse to go check out a cafe huh?"_ Ed asked in amusement _"But alright, I can get there."_

"Are you sure? I can pick you up if you want?" Maes asked. He felt it was only right that he offer the younger man a ride, especially if Ed didn't know the city too well. Ed laughed slightly, his voice fond and full of exasperated humor.

_"That won't be necessary. Apparently my doting, over protective father has bestowed upon me rental car while I am here. I'm lucky he didn't send me a limo and chauffeur."_ Ed explained, and Maes could picture the blonde rolling his eyes but smiling. It was clear that the kid loved his adoptive family and that his father was looking out for his son.

"Alright, then how about we meet there at around...1pm perhaps?" Maes asked, grinning at the exasperation in Ed's voice. But only a fool wouldn't notice that there was also fondness and love in the voice. This was the type of relationship he hoped to have with his own daughter when they were both older. Not like so many families that drifted apart when the kids were grown.

_"Alright, I can do that. Though I apologize in advance if I am a little late."_ Ed stated, his voice filled with mischief _"Beds are very good at convincing you to stay with them." _And Maes had to snort in amusement at that. Yes, he was beginning to _really_ like this kid.

"Haha, of course. So I shall see you tomorrow, Dr. Namikaze." Maes said with a grin. Ed laughed as he said _"Just Edward will do. Really, I mean it. Dr. Namikaze sounds so...eh."_

"Of course Edward" Maes agreed. He knew what Edward meant. Calling him that seemed so detached and cold and so unlike the kid. It was easy to see why the blonde would prefer that people call him by his first name.

_"__I shall s__ee you tomorrow then Detective."_ Ed answered _"Goodbye __and good night__." _

"Goodbye Edward. And good night." Maes returned before he ended the call. The detective set his phone on his desk, having opted to use his cell phone instead of his office phone for that call. His grin did not fade as he pulled up Edward's file once again and printed them so that it was easier to look at. While computers helped so much, it did strain their eyes to be looking at them for so long. Especially when reading long things like Ed's file. And it was just a personal preference to have a hard copy of any file given to him, especially the files of his co-workers.

He couldn't believe that he had found such a highly qualified profiler and expert in such a short amount of time. He had been expecting having to call more then one person for help and then waiting for them to travel to New York. Maes sipped his coffee as he waited for the printing to finish and took the pages from the printer when it was done, still grinning at his good fortune. Setting the cup to the side, he flipped through the pages, making a note to let Roy see this as well. He quickly found the background information and began to read with a slight frown.

Orphaned at 8, Edward Namikaze had been separated from his younger brother (age 7) and gone through four foster homes. It was the fourth home where Ed had been adopted by Minato and Kushina Namikaze at the age of 9. Because of their closeness in age the two brothers had been sent to different homes and the boys were not given information on where the other was. Maes had to fight down the anger that boiled in his chest. To separate the brothers was cruel, especially so soon after losing their mother.

And the anger grew as the information hinted at the fact that three of Ed's foster homes had been abusive. To go through so much in so little time and when he was so young? Maes couldn't help but admire the blonde. It took a lot of inner strength to go through that and yet keep walking forward. And the kid didn't seem depressed, moody or eternally angry. But perhaps it was the Namikaze family that had helped him heal from it all. When he had been adopted he had taken on the Namikaze surname and had been given a middle name but his birth name was included in the information.

He flipped a few pages until he reached a photo of the two brothers before they had been separated and, judging from the smiles, before their mother had passed. And he gasped out loud as he recognized the picture, having seen it countless times before in the apartment of his youngest friend, Alphonse.

Two young boys smiled up at his from the page, their faces radiating joy and contentment. Both were holding up fish from a fishing wire, though Edward's was much larger than his brother's. Both look happy, flushed with their successful fishing adventure. The younger brother smiled up with a kind and gentle smile that he knew too well. Dark blond hair was short and messy and bronze eyes were gentle and sparkled with childish joy. And the older brother...Edward looked up at him with a grin so bright that it rivaled the sun and made him helpless to not smile back. Golden blond hair shone in the sun and wide golden eyes danced with delight and triumph.

He knew from the date printed on the sheet that this was only a year before their lives crashed down around them. He traced the two young faces and he tried to wrap his head around what he had just discovered. Things like this just didn't happen in real life, such coincidences were unheard of outside of daytime dramas and movies. But here he was, staring in shock as his eyes were drawn to the names under the picture, which confirmed it all.

'**Edward****Elric (Now Edward Arashi Namikaze) age 7 and Alphonse Tristan Elric age 6'**

"Oh god..." Maes whispered out "I can't believe this...I-it's...God...Did I just find Al's missing brother?" But soon shock gave way to glee as he began to grin, his eyes flashing as he began to plan. The two brothers had been apart for too long, and he knew that Alphonse missed his older brother just as much as Edward seemed to miss him. And he would make sure that they were reunited in the best possible way.

He knew Al for a while now, since the boy was 18. They had met when his daughter Elysia had been admitted into St. Jude Children's Research Hospital after she had been diagnosed with leukemia at the age of four. Alphonse had been a volunteer there, being one of the people that went around and offered assistance to the parents, such as bringing snacks and drinks and offering to bring food or watch their children while they went out for a little while. They had bonded during the time Elysia was undergoing treatment and they had stayed in touch after she was released. They got together often and Al had become part of their group, especially once Elysia declared him her older brother and vowed to help Al find his own older brother.

Maes smiled at the thought of his daughter, now eight and perfectly healthy. He shook his head and turned back to the picture, two young children smiling up at him. "Don't worry you two" he whispered as he put all the papers together and placed them in a folder "I will make sure you are reunited soon."

And with that he began to pack up his things to go home. He had a lot to do if this reunion was going to go off without a hitch. This was going to be his birthday present to Al and no one would be able to top it. He laughed evilly to himself, happy that such an amazing present practically fell into his lap. He didn't even notice the scared looks he got from other officers as he walked down the halls of headquarters with an evil smirk firmly on his face. But first, he had a best friend to drag home with him.

As he disappeared down the hall towards the squad rooms, the other officers were left looking at each other with pale faces; each wondering what Maes Hughes was planning and hoping that it didn't include them.

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Somewhere in the city a figure dressed entirely in black walked down the crowded streets. Sharp gray eyes scanned the area as he walked, his expression one of deep thought. He stopped in front of a small internet cafe and walked inside. He quickly found himself a computer and sat down, taking his coat and hat off, exposing white blonde hair.

But his eyes didn't stay on his own screen. They flickered across the room and landed on a teenager in the corner, playing four different games of online chess. He could clearly see the level was set to the highest it could be and the teen, a boy with honey blonde hair, seemed to be having no trouble keeping up with the multiple games. A cold smile curved the thin lips of the gray eyed man as he turned back to his own screen.

Long, thin fingers danced across the keyboard as he brought up his own game of chess. He seemed to have no problems with his own high level game of chess, as his eyes kept flickering to the teen in the corner who was now playing an online game of some sort. If any of the people around had looked up, they would usher their fellow computer user away. For the look was one of a monster, cold and ruthless and terrifyingly cunning. But no one looked up, too engrossed in their own little world to sense there was something wrong.

_'Perhaps...'_ the man thought as he easily won the game and clicked out of the congratulatory window._ 'Perhaps this one will pose more of a challenge...__'_ The cold smile grew colder and almost possessive as he gave a final glance to the boy who had glanced away from his own screen as someone called out to him and quickly rushed to his side. Bright green eyes, full of intelligence and gentleness, sparkled from behind a pair of glasses. A smile lit up the young face as he briefly talked to a boy his own age before turning back to his paused game. The gray eyed man smirked as he returned to his screen, waiting for the moment his new target would leave. A piece could not be captured so easily, observation was in order for a while yet.

The "Chess Master", as proclaimed by the media, had found a new victim.

* * *

And that is the end of chapter two. The restaurant mentioned is an actual place in New York City, I am just not sure where it is in relation to the hotel Ed is staying at. And our first look at the murderer! Well, your first look! The plot is beginning to form~ Today's challenge? Incorporate the killer staking out a victim or have someone make a connection between Edward Namikaze and Edward Elric. How do you think I did?

And before I forget, this fanfic is dedicated to a RoyxEd loving friend of mine that I met through role-playing in the Kuroshitsuji fandom on FB. XD Her name there is Ciel Cloakedinsin Phantomhive. If you ever find this, hope you like it!

Until next time~


	3. Chapter 3

And now I am back with chapter three. I had some trouble with this chapter, and I re-wrote it twice before I was satisfied. I wanted to advance the plot but without giving too much away. This isn't going to go super slow but I also don't want this to be a short fic. So I am taking my time with plot developments and romances/pairings. So don't expect Roy and Ed to end up snogging in a few chapters. That isn't them and we all know it. But I hope you enjoy this chapter. The Elric reunion should happen in a chapter or two and then I can focus entirely on the murders.

Again, if you see any mistakes, tell me. I don't have a beta-reader and me and spell check can't get everything. Thank you and enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Gentle eyes, the color of them like burnished bronze, focused on the professor who stood in front of the classroom. The class itself was small in size, merely 20 people and all mostly men. The almost 21-year old brushed away locks of dark blonde hair out of his eyes, absently thinking that he was due for a haircut.

Alphonse Elric let out a quiet sigh as he took notes on the lecture, the dull voice of their guest professor making even him want to take a nap. _'Just kill me now. All he is doing is reading from the PowerPoint word for word!'_ Al shook his head slightly, turning to a clean sheet of loose leaf paper, keeping the print out of the slides close by in case their lecturer actually gave new information. He began to doodle aimlessly in the margins, little stick figures in martial arts poses which gradually became dead stick figures in pools of blood with stick figure detectives around them.

A bit morbid but boredom does crazy things to your brain. He sighed again and let his eyes drift halfway closed as he returned his gaze to the teacher. The slides on the screen were now of murder scenes and he saw a few of his classmates either pale or green at the sight of the decomposing body. Alphonse was a kind boy and he would never insult anyone in any way, but that was just pathetic for students so far into the program. They were all criminal justice majors and they would all probably see something like that in their various intended jobs. And while they unsettled him and made him just a bit queasy, he didn't let it control him.

The third sigh in under five minutes. And it was only 20 minutes into their 120 minute class. Oh he hoped they would get out early because it was a guest teacher but with how it was going, it was possible it could go on even longer. He saw some of the students looking half dead and others trying to hide the fact they were half asleep. Class should not be this way but he couldn't change it, only live with it. But what really sucked was that this was a retired detective and most of them had goals to be forensic scientists or profilers. A detective's perspective was important (even if this detective's perspective was a bit outdated) but wouldn't a profiler or forensic scientist guest lecturer be better?

Perhaps that would happen in a later class. And yet another sigh escaped him and he went back to his doodles. This time however, it was more detailed rather than the stick figures of before. It was a little drawing, not the best but certainly not the worst, in the middle of the paper. It was of two boys, looking around the same age, perhaps only a year apart if at all. They were sketched as sitting down on grass, having an arm around the other and smiling. One of the boys had slightly spiky hair and a shy smile. And the other had the beginnings of long fringes growing to frame his face and a smile that could light up the sky.

_'Brother...Where could you be?'_

He often found himself sketching this same little picture, which is why it came out better than anything else he tried to draw. He missed his older brother, a fiery and protective child with a heart of gold and a sharp tongue even at the young age of 8. As the days drew closer to his birthday, his thoughts turned to his brother more than usual, making him just a bit temperamental. They had been young, still grieving their mother's death, when they were separated. They hadn't been told where the other went, no communication was allowed and no information was given.

Years later he knew that what had happened was wrong. He learned that the individuals that had handled their foster system were corrupted and were part of a child smuggling ring. When they were arrested they found info on the children they had sold and he had not received any indication that his brother had become part of the ring. And now it was about 15 years since they had been separated and he had not lost hope, no matter how hard it was to keep said hope.

He tuned back to the lesson just in time to catch the last part of the lecture. The guest professor finished wrapping up his speech and their normal professor walked to the front of the classroom. Al had to hide a giggle behind his hand as he saw his teacher look as half asleep as most of the students.

Professor William Radeon, a middle-aged man with brown hair and matching brown eyes, nodded politely at the old detective before addressing his students. "Class, why don't we give a round of applause to our guest to thank him for such an informative lecture?" He began to clap politely and the class followed suit, the sound half-hearted but there all the same. The detective, James Offray, smiled at the class. "It was my pleasure. It is important to pass on knowledge to the younger generation after all." The detective smiled as he gathered his things and left quietly after nodding at the class.

William let out a small sigh as he smiled at the class. "Alright, now I am letting class out early. Since we will not have class for the rest of this week I shall give you two homework assignments. One is to write a brief paper, one page, about what you learned from this lecture. And two, decide which profiler or expert you wish to write your report on. Class dismissed."

Alphonse wasted no time in gathering his things and filing out of the room. With a grin, he remembered the rest of his classes for the day had been canceled for one reason or another, and so he could go home. But he had a different idea in mind, namely going to visit his friends at the NYPD. Perhaps they knew of a profiler or expert that would be interesting to research. The boy managed to get out of the building and to the parking lot without being trampled, and he made his way to where his car was parked.

Yes, the NYPD was a good place to start research and why not bring lunch to his friends as well? He knew they were in the middle of yet another frustrating case and they often forgot about meals when in the middle of said frustrating cases. And so Alphonse made his way to his favorite sandwich shop, intent on picking up lunch for himself and his friends. He was sure that Roy and the others would appreciate it.

~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~

Edward hummed a song to himself absently as he looked out his window while he brushed the tangles out of long golden locks. It was nearly time for him to be leaving to meet up with Detective Hughes, and he had to finish getting ready. He had stayed up longer than he had planned last night, talking to his parents, thus explaining his late start. They had spoken about him agreeing to help in a case and the offer of aid from Hughes, both worried about the safety of their child even though Ed had been a part of potentially dangerous cases before.

The sun streaming in from the window lit up his hair as he let the brush fall onto the table near the glass doors and tied his hair back in an elegant high tail instead of his usual braid. Long bangs hid his face momentarily before he brushed them aside with a shake of his head as he ran his hand down his sides, making sure his clothes were presentable. He might as well try to make a good impression when he met Detective Hughes and his father always told him that no matter how much it irritated them, people would always use appearances to judge people.

Instead of his usual attire that consisted of dark denim jeans, black sneakers, t-shirts, sweaters, and his favorite crimson overcoat, he was dressed in a pair of nice slacks in a rich shade of brown and a white dress shirt with a 20's style collar. Over the shirt he wore a vest the same shade of brown as his pants, a pair of comfortable black leather shoes and a pair of white gloves finished the somewhat more "formal" attire. Not overly dressy as it was only a casual lunch, but formal to the point of not being overly familiar with a stranger he was meeting for business.

He brought his hand up and lifted his shirt sleeve slightly, revealing a simple elegant wristwatch with the face sitting on his inner wrist. It was about time to go, any more dawdling and he ran the risk of being late. Even now, he might be late. He was glad that his father had arranged for him to have a car ready for him at the hotel. It sure beat having to catch taxis everywhere and waste unnecessary money every time he wanted to go out. Ed quickly got the rest of his things together, shrugging on a thick brown overcoat and grabbing a brown shoulder bag full of files. The blonde grabbed his keys, cell phone and wallet and quickly exited the room.

It didn't take long to find his car and even less time to merge into traffic and make his way to the agreed upon location; after he put the address into his GPS of course. Those things really did come in handy in situations like this. It wasn't long before the GPS announced that he had "arrived at his destination on the right", and he looked over at the building as he parked. It was cozy and looked like a nice place to have a casual lunch. He smiled as he got out and locked his car, activating the alarm and making sure he had his bag with him. It was then that Ed realized that he didn't know how the detective looked like, even if the man knew what he looked like. All he could do is wait and hope he was spotted.

And not even five minutes had passed, before a cheerful looking man wearing glasses, a black book-bag and a black coat walked up to him. "I assume you are Dr. Edward Namikaze?" the man asked in the voice he remembered from the phone. Confident now that this was the man he had come to meet, Ed offered his hand with a slight smirk and a nod. "And I assume you are Detective Maes Hughes?"

The cheerful man, now identified, nodded and motioned to the cafe as a gust of icy wind hit them. "I am. But why don't we go inside and talk. I swear that if I hadn't seen the calendar, I would not think it was March already." Ed hummed his agreement as he followed Hughes into the warmth of the cafe. They took over a booth near the back and sat on opposite sides, Ed delighted by the plush and comfortable seats.

The atmosphere of the place was lively and yet soothing, a place you want to keep coming back too. The air was filled with the intoxicating mix of good coffee and fresh baked bread. And a waitress, a bubbly brunette woman with brown eyes and a bright grin, promptly came to their table with two glasses of water, two menus, and a basket of warm bread and two small dishes. One dish had a pile of butter packages to spread on the bread and the other was a little bowl full of olive oil and spices.

She placed everything between the two men and told them she would be back in a bit to collect their orders. And so both men agreed silently to order first and then talk. But Hughes kept glancing at the younger man, slightly taken aback by the eyes the boy had. From the pictures he knew that Ed would have gold eyes and yet, seeing them in person was quite an experience. Ed was not one to back down and it was, to be honest, intimidating to be stared at with eyes so sharp and determined. The gaze was like golden fire that scorched your very soul and demanded that you give him the answers he wanted. Oh yes, Edward was not one to back down easily. He would go down fighting if it ever came to that and it would not be an easy fight.

He was acutely aware that this man, with the troubled gaze, was the one Alphonse was looking so desperately for. It made him smile because he knew from the tone Ed used last night that he wanted to find Al just as desperately. He would be able to fulfill his promise to Alphonse and help him reunite with his brother, and for his birthday as well. That was a bonus. Everything seemed to be falling into place so perfectly that it almost seemed to be planned by someone. Or perhaps life decided to stop being such a PMS-ing bitch and let the two brothers find each other again.

Maes had to cover up his snicker at that thought with a sneeze, when golden eyes lifted from the menu and looked at him quizzically. But soon the waitress came back, orders were placed, and the two could talk freely. Ed was the first to speak, tilting his head lightly as he shrugged off his coat and placed it beside him and taking off his gloves as well. "Well, as much as I want to talk about my brother first, I think you should tell me a bit more about this case I am helping you with."

"Very well. One of the detectives on the case made a file for you to look at. It's not all of it but what she could put together on such short notice." Maes answered as he reached for his bag and took out a relatively thick folder before handing it to the other man. Ed took it carefully, laying it on the table and flipping it open, skimming pages of detailed notes. Ed twisted his mouth slightly and he frowned, his eyes troubled. "You really don't have much physical evidence to go by. But I do think I can at least give you a good profile of the killer." The older man let out a relieved sigh. That would help greatly and he had been slightly worried that there wouldn't be enough info to profile their killer.

"I would have to look into it in more depth of course" Ed continued as he spoke without taking his eyes off the notes "And perhaps see the crime scene photos since none are in here." Maes stirred the contents of his glass with the straw, nodding.

"The only copies we have at the moment are in the squad room. I wasn't able to print out copies for you." Maes said, a slight apology in the tone. Ed waved it off, shrugging. "No big deal. I am going to go to your headquarters soon correct?" Maes nodded, thinking about his plan. In the end he had decided to postpone Ed's arrival at headquarters. Alphonse was frequently there and he wanted the two to be reunited on Al's birthday, for he couldn't give a better gift than that.

"Yes, but not yet. And I will explain why in a minute." Maes answered, smiling slightly "We feel as though this killer has some sort of agenda. But for the life of us, we can't figure it out or even have any ideas about it."

"This is why you have me." Ed answered, finally lifting his gaze from the notes to look at the older man. He gave the man a cocky smile and yet his eyes flared with determination. It was clear to anyone that this boy would find the answers if the answer was there. Maes smiled, feeling as though he now had an inkling as to why Al had so much faith in his older brother. If this look was the one he had given Al…Well it was hard to not believe in what he was saying.

"In this case I am only looking up information." Hughes continued "I don't have all the information nor do I know about any clues, hints, leads or suspicions. But when you go to headquarters, you can talk to the task force created for this case." Ed nodded, his eyes flickering back to the file before looking back to Maes.

"And I assume the lead detective is this man called Roy Mustang?" Ed asked, tapping the signature at the bottom of the last page, authorizing it to be shared with their new profiler. Maes nodded, a fond smile on his face. "Yup that is my best friend. He's a good detective; there is no doubt about that. But you will see…He is…Well, let's just say that he is not easy to get along with at times." Ed smirked, and shrugged as if to say 'And I am?' Maes laughed at that, shaking his head slightly.

"You two would either be best friends or worst enemies, I swear." Maes laughed. Ed shrugged again. "Well either way I can kick his ass if he annoys me." Maes snorted but didn't question it. Both men had fighting experience, Roy from military training and Ed apparently was trained by his parents who were both skilled martial artists. That was a fight that he would pay money to see and would probably happen eventually if their personalities were anything to go on. "Edward, if you beat him in a fight I'll…I dunno what I'll give you but I'll give it."

"I take payment in the shape of chocolate chip cookies and-or apple pies" Ed supplied helpfully, grinning at the thought of his favorite desserts. Maes locked away that piece of info as he smiled. This kid was interesting and he was looking forward to spending time with him. He would liven up headquarters at the very least.

"I'll remember that." Maes answered "Now, I wanted to talk to you about why I don't want you coming in just yet." At this, Ed's smile dimmed and he tilted his head to the side slightly to look at Maes in puzzlement. "I would have assumed you needed me in as soon as possible."

"Normally yes but you do already have a lot of info to fully read so you don't really have to go in." Hughes answered "And I have something I want you to help me with first…It's…" Maes bit his lip, knowing that what he was going to say now was going to sound impossible. "Edward, I know your brother."

As expected, the blonde stared at him with a mixture of shock, disbelief and a tiny bit of anger, as if he thought the older man was lying to him. But before Ed could speak, Maes took out a picture from his coat and placed it on the table, pointing to one of the people in the photo. "I met him about four years ago. He was volunteering in the hospital my daughter was being treated in and we got close. And now that he is studying for a criminal justice degree…He spends a lot of time in the NYPD headquarters."

He tapped the photo again, making Ed look at it, even if he looked reluctant to do so. "This was taken at my daughter's most recent birthday. This is Alphonse Elric…This is your brother." Ed cautiously picked the photo up and looked at it, his eyes drawn to the honey blonde boy who seemed to be, along with a young girl, the focus of the picture. A kind face, bronze eyes, and a painfully familiar smile gazed up at him and Ed had to swallow back the sob that wanted to escape. "Al…" he whispered, tracing the smiling face with lightly trembling fingers.

Maes gave a sad smile at the longing and joy in Ed's voice. He knew this must be overwhelming to the blonde, a log search finally finished. "Edward" His gentle voice brought Ed out of his trance and gold eyes blinked up at Maes in confusion as he noticed the now wide grin. "I am sure you know that his birthday in in a few days right?" Ed nodded at once. "Of course, in three days..." He trailed off as he started to understand what Hughes was thinking.

"Shall we make me Al's present?" Ed chirped cheerfully, a delighted smirk on his face and mischief bright in his eyes. Maes nodded, the same mischief in his own eyes. "Of course! And we can't _just_ tell him, that's too boring!" Ed snickered, agreeing to that. As much as he wanted to go see his brother, his very nature demanded a flashy reunion.

"Do you have anything in mind?" Ed asked, his mind racing with possibilities and ideas. Maes nodded, and tapped the table absently as he collected his thoughts. Before he could speak however, the waitress made a reappearance, delivering their food and drinks with a smile. Both men thanked her and she scurried away, tending to the rest of her tables. "Well…" Maes started, looking down at his food, the 'Grilled Chicken Citrus Salad' with a slight grin "I have a few ideas I would like to run past you. Since you are Al's present from the both of us."

Ed nodded and turned to his own food, 'The Mudman Special Pressed Sandwich' with an eager grin. "Okay, so what are your ideas about this? It has to be good since it has to count as two presents." He took a bite of his sandwich and hummed in delight. It was good and he hadn't realized how hungry he was. The detective smiled and took a bite of his salad as he thought. "Well…" He waved his fork a bit as he spoke "I know that Al really wants information and recent pictures of you so how about we make a video? That can be my gift and your gift to him could be you physically being there."

"A video? Of what exactly?" Ed asked after swallowing another bite. He then took a sip of his drink, humming in pleasure. This place sure did serve very good coffee. His eyes glowed as he waited for Maes to answer. The man in question frowned slightly in thought. "Well, do you happen to have any home videos or anything of the sort? We could create a video of things like vacations, graduations, and things like that. Of you growing up in a way since he really wants information on your life while you two were apart." Ed nodded in realization and gave a soft smile to the table top.

"My parents took their camera everywhere" Ed chuckled, shaking his head in fond exasperation "You will have a lot of material to work with. They have when I first met them, when they adopted me, all my birthdays, awards ceremonies, college graduation, and just random outings." The detective nearly cackled in glee, just shy of hopping in his seat as he looked at Ed with an eager expression. "Do you have them with you or can you get them quickly?"

Ed thought for a moment. "Well, my parents do keep a copy of everything like that online. The cloud thing...Umm. The iCloud I think it was." Ed explained with a shrug. "So I can get you any video you want to use. But there is a loooot of footage to look through. It would take forever to see it all actually. Mama and Papa took the camera everywhere like I said." Ed looked at Maes with a grin "And I mean _everywhere_."

"It would take forever...Unless you help me." Maes answered with a thoughtful look in his eyes "I can ask for a specific thing, like lets say I ask you for a favorite vacation video or an event like a birthday. We can narrow things down that way." Ed hummed thoughtfully, nodding. The plan did have merit and it would be fun to create a video of his life for Al. There were a lot of memories he wanted to share with his brother and this would be a good start.

Hughes took a sip of his own coffee, humming his own pleasure at the taste of the rich brew. Roy had been right, this place had amazing coffee. "We don't have much time" Hughes continued "So we should do this quite soon. Are you at all busy right now?" Ed shook his head. "Not really. I only came here to find Al and you did that for me." A grateful smile was sent to Hughes before he continued "So other than looking more closely at the file you gave me, I have nothing to do until you take me to meet the team I am to be working with."

"Perfect!" the man cheered, taking a bite of his salad and chewing it happily. "Why don't we go and start that after we eat? So we know it's done by Al's birthday." Ed nodded as he bit his sandwich again, chewing happily. "Sure. This will be fun. So you'll show it to Al saying you found me or what?" The other man paused as he thought about that.

"I don't want to lie and say I haven't found you but...I can just say I have a video to show him and play the one I'm gonna make." Maes answered promptly. He really didn't want to lie to Al, especially about this. But he _can_ just tell him to watch and have the boy come to his own conclusion as to how he got so much video footage of his brother all grown up.

"Yeah, I really don't want to lie to Al at all about this." Ed sighed "It would be cruel. I think that telling him you have a video to show him and let him come to the conclusion that you found me is the best course of action. Then I can come out of hiding if I'm there or you can tell him where I am staying so he can come see me or whatever." Maes nodded, and frowned slightly at Ed's assumption that he wouldn't be at Al's birthday party. He was the long lost brother that Al never shut up about! If there was one thing that quiet, polite Al loved to speak about, it was Edward. So that made Ed as much of a guest of honor as Al would be at the party.

"You will be hiding and you come out when the video ends" Hughes said firmly, to make sure that Ed knew that there was no other alternative. Ed _would_ be at the party when the video was shown. Ed smiled a bit sheepishly and nodded, getting the message. "Alright, so I shall hide and be a ninja. So is Al having a party or what?"

'Well we were thinking of kidnapping him to a bar" Maes answered, snickering slightly "But it was mostly as a joke since he is now legal to drink." Ed laughed lightly, hiding his grin behind his coffee mug. "Trying to get my little brother drunk huh? Sounds fun!" Both men laughed and then fell into comfortable silence as they finished their meal. They both had a lot on their minds and took this time to organize their thoughts.

Soon their plates were empty and it came time to pay the bill. Their waitress gave it to them with a cheerful smile and a hope that they returned, before going off to help another table that was signaling to her. Ed and Maes both stared at the bill and then each other, but the older man grabbed it first with a grin. "Not to worry Edward, I shall pay the bill. It is only right since I invited you." Ed frowned and shook his head. "You don't have too. I can pay half of the bill." But all he got was a shake of the head and a playful frown from the older man.

"Nope, I am paying and that is final." Hughes said simply as he took out his wallet and placed a few bills onto the dish the bill had been placed in. The waitress, seeing that, took it and hurried to the kitchen to get their change. Ed frowned at Maes, crossing his arms and almost pouting. He really didn't like it when people paid for him, his parents were the exception only because they were his parents, but strangers? It just seemed impolite and against his upbringing. But the detective caught his expression and laughed.

"Don't worry. It wasn't my money either." At Ed's confused look, he elaborated. "I went to talk to the police chief since I needed some paperwork so you can work for us right?" He waited until Ed's expression smoothed into a slightly puzzled frown and nodded, before continuing. "Well I showed his your resume and he really wants to keep you in the NYPD. We really do need an expert as experienced as you. And so he gave me money to treat you, which I think is a bribe to keep you." Ed's expression turned amused at that bit of information.

"We'll see if I stay with the NYPD" Ed shrugged, but his eyes danced in good humor "After all, if Al is living in New York, there is a good chance I will stay close by or come here quite often." Maes blinked. He had actually been sure that the boy in front of him would permanently move to here since his brother was here. But even as he thought that, he remembered the blonde's file said that Ed was quite close with his adoptive family and spent much of his free time with them. It would be a hard decision choosing between one or the other.

"I'm sure Al would want you to stay with him" Hughes said instead "That boy doesn't stop talking about you. And he carries your picture everywhere."

"In a gold and emerald locket right?" Ed says with a faint smile, his eyes hazy as if lost in memories. "I remember when I bought it. I used up most of the money our mother had left us to get it and a matching one for me but..." He trailed off and stared at the polished surface of the table. But he didn't need to explain further, Maes understood. Ed had wanted to give his brother something that no one would be able to take away from him. Something that reminded the younger boy of his mother and older brother even during their separation.

"Well now we can give him a recent picture instead of one when you were eight." Maes joked gently and was relieved at the laugh that Ed let out. "And I can get a picture of both of us together to send to my parents." Ed murmured, mostly to himself but the detective heard it clear enough. The mention of Ed's adoptive family peaked his curiosity. There wasn't much info on them, other then he had a mother, a father, a foster older brother and a little brother other than Al. He wondered for a moment if it would be inappropriate to ask about them when they still were, in essence, strangers. But the chance to do so disappeared when the waitress returned with the change.

"Here you go. Have a nice day~" the woman smiled, flipping her hair out of the way as she set the small dish with the receipt and change as well as a few mints and caramel candies, and then walking away. The blonde immediately grabbed the caramel candies with a wicked grin and unwrapped one, popping it into his mouth with a happy hum. Maes just watched in amusement as he pocketed the mints and leaving a tip for their waitress. Both men shrugged on their coats, grabbed their things and made their way out of the warm cafe feeling full and satisfied.

Once outside, they squared their shoulders against an icy wind before turning to each other. "So are you coming with me or shall we meet later or tomorrow?" Ed asked, tilting his head slightly. His hands were in his pocket, fingering his keys and ready to dash across the street to his car. Hughes paused for a moment and took out his phone to look at the time. As much as he wanted to go and complete his little project right now, he still had work to do. And he had extended his lunch time as much as he could.

"Perhaps later? After I get off work tonight. I need to go and file your paperwork so you can come into work and get the rest of the info on the case for you." Maes said through a disappointed sigh. "I get off around 8pm-ish." Edward nodded and waved away the apologetic tone. He knew the man must have his hands full even just assisting the main team that had been assigned this case.

The blonde shrugged and nodded. "I won't be doing anything. Feel free to come over, you do have my number." Ed said with a slight grin "And you know where I'm staying. Just ask for me at the front desk and they'll take you up." Maes nodded and saluted the younger man playfully.

"Alright Doctor. I shall call you later today to tell you if I can come over tonight to start our surprise." Maes chuckled. "Drive safely!" And with that he jogged down the street to where his own car was parked. Ed waved goodbye through a laugh as he went over to his own car and slipped inside. This lunch was sure interesting, so much more interesting than he had been expecting.

"I need to talk to Papa about this" Ed laughed to himself before turning on his car and driving away. But he wasn't heading to his hotel, not yet anyway. Al's birthday was in three days and he had to get his own present for Al ready.

~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~X~x~

Alphonse smiled as he walked into the police station, waving at the brown haired woman manning the front desk. The woman, Sheska, gave his a nervous wave back before turning to help a civilian with something. Sheska had just recently been hired and she was still nervous about being surrounded by criminals and police officers every day. But she was nearing her third week of work and she hadn't run out the door screaming, which was always a good thing.

He weaved through the crowded lobby before heading down a hallway that he knew would lead him towards the squad room where his friends would be. And that was indeed where he found them, four desks occupied and four heads bowed down over their work. A grin played across Al's lips as he stepped into the squad room. "Hi there guys! You look a bit…Overworked." His words were said cheerfully, but you had to be blind not to notice the concern in his eyes. Concern that only grew when four pairs of tired eyes shot up and locked onto him.

"Alphonse!" Riza called out, a tired smile lighting up her face. "We didn't expect you here today. Don't you have class?" Al walked in and raised the bag he had been carrying, letting it swing as he spoke. "The rest of my classes were canceled. So I thought I would bring you all lunch." He walked forward, grinning to himself as he saw his friends perk up at the mention of food.

"Alphonse, you are a godsend" the heavy set red haired man said dramatically. "So what did you bring us?" Al stopped at an extra desk and began to pull out long sandwiches wrapped in foil, as well as bottles of water and soda.

"I bring thee sandwiches and drinks Breda." Al answered, just as dramatically, though he never lost the kind smile on his face. He handed out the food and drinks, each of the officers murmuring their thanks before returning to their desks. Al took out his own lunch and began to eat, a thoughtful look on his face. Roy noticed the expression and swallowed his bite before addressing the younger boy.

"Something on your mind Alphonse?" Roy asked, his eyes locked onto Al's face with unwavering curiosity. Al shrugged, a faint blush on his cheeks, embarrassed at being so easy to read. He stayed silent for a few minutes but shrugged. "It isn't anything bad. I just had a question." At seeing Roy's nod, he continued. "For one of my classes I have to research and try to interview a profiler. Send questions that they could answer and things like that. I just wondered if you knew anyone that would be interesting to research."

"Well you're in luck." Roy smirked slightly as he returned to his lunch "Hughes found us a profiler that works for the FBI and CIA. And he is not that much older than you. He's 22." Al blinked, not having expected that. Riza picked up the telling from there. "He is apparently a prodigy and has handled high profile cases since he was 18. He'll be reporting in soon, according to Hughes." Al's eyes widened at that. Oh he hoped that this new profiler would be willing to answer a few questions. To be able to chat with someone that was in one of the fields he was considering would be helpful in so many ways.

"I do hope he'll have time to be interviewed." Al said softly as he bit his sandwich and chewed thoughtfully "I don't want to distract him from his work on cases with you guys." Roy shrugged and Riza smiled at the younger man. "I am sure that he would be happy to take some time to answer your questions." She then got an evil gleam in her eyes as she continued, her lips curved into a devious smirk "After all, he is going to need to take a break from the annoying lead detective that we call a friend."

The entire group laughed as Roy glared at Riza. Al tried to hide his laughter behind a hand and Riza merely returned to her mostly finished lunch, unaffected by Roy's glare. The raven haired man then sighed, knowing that glaring at the sharp eyed woman was a waste of tie and he shook his head. He smiled slightly as he finished up his meal and threw away the wrapper and cleaned up his desk.

"Anyway, I am sure he'll give you some answers. I doubt Hughes would have found a profiler that was grouchy and mean." Roy mused, half to himself. "And even if he did, they'd be scared away by his cheerfulness." The team nodded, knowing how utterly happy that man always seemed. Al smiled, knowing they were right and feeling excited at the prospect of being able to learn more about profiling in general. The man might even have suggestions for classes to take while he was still in school. That would really help a lot.

The rest of the unit finished their lunch quickly after that and cleaned up. There really wasn't anything Al could do to help them so he bid them goodbye and exited the building, looking forward to meeting the new profiler. It was only then that he realized that he hadn't gotten the man's name, which meant he couldn't look him up beforehand. Al shrugged and headed to his car. There was still a good amount of time until his assignment was due so he could wait a few more days. The man then drove away, heading towards the library. Even if he couldn't start that paper right now, he had plenty of homework to do.

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_'How interesting...This child is quite motivated to learn. __And quite advanced as well.__'_

Sharp gray eyes, full of amusement, didn't waver from his object of interest. A teenage boy sat at one of the individual study tables at the local library, pouring over a large book on anatomy. Green eyes flickered over the words, soaking in the information and occasionally writing quick notes in a large binder full of crisp loose leaf paper.

A hand brushed back loose strands of white blonde hair as he continued to watch the teen over his own book on chemistry. A cold smile played across his lips as he hummed to himself thoughtfully. It was obvious that the teenager he was watching was smart. In addition to the anatomy book, there were books about biology, the brain and forensic anthropology.

_'Perhaps he is the one who will give me a challenge.'_

A hungry smile replaced the cold one on the man's face as he put down his book on the desk and closed it. He laid a hand on it as he elegantly took out a silver phone. He pretended to look at the time even as he used the camera to zoom in on the teen he was watching and snap a picture. He saved it and smiled down at the screen, his fingers lightly trailing over the boy's face.

_'Perhaps a bit more waiting...But yes. This one shall be mine to play with.'_

The man masked a laugh behind a hand and stood up, gathering his things and grabbing his book to check out. He let his eyes linger on the teenager, who was now cleaning his glasses, with a few more books open on the table, before sweeping from the quiet study room. He couldn't be seen around the victim too long in such public settings. He had been doing this for far too long to be sloppy. And that is why the NYPD didn't have many clues to work with.

But it wouldn't be fun if there wasn't a chance for him to be caught. He wanted the police to have clues, and see if they were smart enough to use them. The lead detective, Roy Mustang he recalled faintly, was a rather intelligent man. And t hat would make this little game of his all the more fun. He wanted to see if the man would be able to stop his game, but he doubted it.

Checking out the book didn't take very long and he was once again outside, breathing in the cold air. His eyes found a police car and he smirked to himself. As if a mere grunt would be able to get any evidence or see any sort of disturbance. Those who got caught by such trash deserved what came to them. He walked down the street towards his car and held back a cold laugh.

_'Detective Roy Mustang...Fierce and cool black king. Let us see if you will be able to stop me...'_

* * *

And that is the end of chapter three! Hopefully I can get chapter four done soon since I am on Spring break right now. We now have more information on the killer and we are once again seeing the poor teen the killer is stalking. The poor kid! And Ed and Al are closer to being reunited. And for any of you wondering why Hughes doesn't just drag Ed to Al's apartment...It is like they said in the chapter, something so..ordinary is not them. The Elric reunion shall be a big event!

Do you expect any less from Ed and Hughes? Well until next time! Rai out!


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